TRADIE WIFE
WHY WINGING IT ISN’T WORKING
(AND BREAKING OLD HABITS WILL HELP)
Feel more confident co-leading your trade business and life with your partner!
TRADIE WIFE
WHY WINGING IT ISN’T WORKING
(AND BREAKING OLD HABITS WILL HELP)
Feel more confident co-leading your trade business and life with your partner!
TRADIE WIFE, THIS ONE’S FOR YOU!
Did you start by helping out in your partner’s trade business because he couldn’t manage the overwhelming administrative workload, then quit your career to go all in? It’s a whole new world for you. It’s a whole new world for your partner. It’s a whole new world where love, leadership and doing the laundry has turned into a battleground. The trouble is, you’re winging it — and it isn’t working, is it? You are not alone. Women in trade businesses everywhere share a similar story.
Written by Angela Smith, co-founder of Dr. DRiP Plumbing and Lifestyle Tradie, co-host of the podcast, The Tradie Show, and co-author of Start Up, Scale Up, Sell Up, Tradie Wife: Why Winging It Isn’t Working (And Breaking Old Habits Will Help) is packed with relatable lived experiences, practical, evidence-based tips, along with advice from leading habit researcher, Dr Gina Cleo, to help you gain your wings in life and business.
ONE BOOK, TWO EXPERTS
Habit researcher Dr Gina Cleo shares her research and expert knowledge to support Angela Smith’s mission to uplift and energise you to be a kick-ass trade business leader, alongside and equal with your partner.
Angela Smith
Founder of Lifestyle Tradie
Angela Smith is co-author of Start Up, Scale Up, Sell Up, co-host of The Tradie Show podcast, co-founder of award-winning Dr. DRiP Plumbing and co-founder of Lifestyle Tradie — the #1 education hub and community for trade business owners, where she generously shares her knowledge and lived experience to help others.
More than 20 years ago, Angela left her senior marketing role to join her husband Andy at Dr. DRiP. After navigating many unhelpful habits and potholes along the way, including hitting rock bottom financially, Angela understands first-hand that winging it doesn’t work. Her mission is to educate other women that there is a better way.
Dr Gina Cleo
Founding Director of The Habit Change Institute/Assistant Professor of Habit Change
Dr Gina Cleo is one of the world’s leading experts in habits and is passionate about translating scientific evidence into simple, actionable strategies to help improve health, wellness, mindset, lifestyle, and business-related habits for the long term. Gina has a PhD in Habit Change, is an Assistant Professor at Bond University and is an Accredited Dietitian.
Gina’s habit change research has been published in medical journals globally and she has appeared on over 150 news outlets, including ABC News, the Today Show and Studio 10. She is also a regular keynote speaker and expert panellist at national and international conferences.
INSIDE YOU’LL DISCOVER
- Why habits are the only proven method to achieve sustained behaviour change.
- Day by day, habit by habit. This is the process of becoming ourselves.
- Understanding stubborn stereotypes (and why they’re holding you back).
- Language can be a barrier to your self-belief in your relationship and business.
- Ways to create a true partnership in the male-dominated trade industry.
- The ultimate superpower is clarifying your roles and responsibilities.
- How you and your partner will be unstoppable, if you get this stuff right!
Plus, a word on THAT label: Tradie Wife.
Remember saying something along these lines to your husband? “I’m going to come in and help you with the business.” You went in with the right intentions. Your partner wasn’t coping. You pick up some of the pieces. You’re winging it. Winging it is an unhelpful habit. And, it’s not working. In the words of Dr Gina Cleo: “Habits are the invisible blueprint of our everyday life.” Being able to fall back on healthy habits is the ticket to unchaining the cycle you’re in.
TRADIE WIFE: WHY WINGING IT ISN’T WORKING IS NOW AVAILABLE ON KINDLE AND AS AN AUDIOBOOK!
OUR CONTRIBUTORS
Thank you to the following five wonderful women in trade business who have shared their own stories and perspectives with us. You will love reading more about their stories throughout the book.
Brigid is proud of what she and Richard have created together. Recently, they’ve purchased a warehouse, completed a mini-renovation and moved the business in — out of the family home! Brigid is now in the process of stepping back from the day-to-day operations and has hired a general manager.
With a background in customer service, business and people management, training and marketing, Felicity’s skills have been easily transferable into the administrative side of Ghostwood Landscapes. She’s also a landscape construction apprentice under her husband Blake.
Christie jumped into business with her husband Steve from a senior role in the public service and started wearing lots of hats from the start. She loves implementing new things into the business and making everyone’s life easier. For Christie, the pandemic has prompted a Great Reset.
Stacey transitioned into JDY Electrical with her husband Jack after he had a health event that changed the course of their lives. Since then, Stacey has thrown herself into the back-office work and learnt many lessons on the way, going on to become an equal co-leader of the regional trade business.
Naomi Stevens is office manager at AC Plumbing, based in North Brisbane Queensland. After leaving her own 10-year career in retail management to join her husband Corey in the business to tackle marketing, Naomi has since stepped into a more strategic role which has helped grow the team from two to 17 staff.